Aisha Wahab Wins Special Election to Complete Eric Swalwell's Congressional Term
State Senator Aisha Wahab defeated Melissa Hernandez in a special election, becoming the first Afghan-American to serve in Congress and will finish the remainder of Rep. Eric Swalwell's term.
California State Senator Aisha Wahab won Thursday's special election to fill the remainder of former Rep. Eric Swalwell's term in the U.S. House, representing the 14th Congressional District that includes parts of Alameda County. The victory makes Wahab the first Afghan-American to serve in Congress. She defeated Bay Area Rapid Transit Director Melissa Hernandez despite significant outside spending supporting Hernandez in the final weeks of the race.
Wahab, a progressive Democrat, said her win demonstrates that the district "cannot be bought" and pledged to "fight for this district that raised me" from foster care to Congress. Hernandez, a moderate Democrat, said she remained committed to fighting for the district after the loss.
Swalwell resigned in April after ending his gubernatorial bid amid sexual-assault allegations, which remain under federal investigation. Over the weekend, agents seized electronic devices from Swalwell at San Francisco airport and later searched his Washington, D.C., home.
Wahab, who first entered elected office with a Hayward City Council seat in 2018, has focused on housing affordability and authored a 2023 bill to ban caste-based discrimination, which Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed. The two candidates will meet again in November for the full two-year term.
During an April forum, Wahab affirmed that the situation facing the Palestinian people constitutes genocide, while Hernandez described Israel's right to self-defence but said the destruction in Gaza had "gone too far."